Radiation detectors, such as gamma-ray detectors, for example, may include a scintillator material which converts a given type of radiation (e.g., gamma-rays) into light. The light is directed to a photodetector, which converts the light generated by the scintillator into an electrical signal, which may be used to measure the amount of radiation which is incident on the crystal.
In the case of well-logging tools for hydrocarbon wells (e.g., gas and oil wells), a borehole gamma-ray detector may be incorporated into the tool string to measure radiation from the geological formation surrounding the borehole to determine information about the geological formation, including the location of gas and oil pockets. It is generally desirable to have as large a scintillator volume as possible within the constraints of the wellbore diameter while, at the same time, extracting as much light as possible from the scintillator to the photodetector for each gamma-ray interaction. Yet, given the space constraints in well-logging tools, achieving desired scintillator dimensions and operating characteristics may be difficult in some applications.